East-west Players Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 956151775
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2012–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Phone
- 2136257000
- Rating
- 86
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Theater
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,902,002
- Expenses
- $3,341,416
- Assets
- $5,103,294
- Liabilities
- $268,511
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
19 people listed
Highest reported compensation
- EUGENE HUTCHINS (MANAGING DIRECTOR, OUTGOING): $110,385 total reported compensation
- KEVIN JOHNSON-SATHER (MANAGING DIRECTOR, INCOMING): $86,968 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The purpose of east west players, inc. (ewp) is to raise the visibility of the asian american experience by presenting world-class theatrical productions, developing artists of color, and providing impactful youth education programs. Founded in 1965, ewp is one of the nation's longest-running theaters of color and the largest and oldest asian american theater company. Ewp strives to ensure that asian and pacific islander stories are told by working to increase access, inclusion, and representation in the creative economy through the production and development of theatrical works, a robust range of professional enrichment and arts education programs, and other civic activities. In recognition of its work, ewp was designated by the ford foundation as a national cultural treasure, one of only 20 organizations to receive the honor.
What it reported doing in 2024
East west players presents 3-5 mainstage productions per year. These consist of world premiere plays and musicals, as well as reinterpretations of classic or established works primarily written, performed, and/or developed by asian american, pacific islander, and native hawaiian (aapinh) artists. These productions illuminate the diverse stories and experiences within the aapinh communities and provide diverse artists opportunities they might not be afforded otherwise.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 83
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 95
- Sustainability: 29
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
- Program expense ratio: 77.3%; rating input score 77
- Fundraising efficiency: $4.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: Fail
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -75.7%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.53; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 5.9%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 9% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 7.3% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 22.6% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 77.3% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $2.6M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $110K · 19 people listed
- Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
- Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
- People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 15/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
- Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 56/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 51/100.